Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Ready for a Full Meal, or Just a Media Snack?

I’ve heard the term “media snacking” several times over the past month. So what is it? Media snacking is the act of grabbing quick “bites” of content. This can include things like short video clips, text messages, tunes, or even blogs like this one. If you're reading this right now, you're snacking!

Most would think that media snacking on mobile devices in particular is just for kids: after all, what working adult has time to engage in such activity? Think again. According to a survey conducted by Leger Marketing on behalf of Palm Canada, 60 per cent of adults are active in mobile entertainment, nibbling on bits of media more often than they even have time to do.

Ironically, the reason adults are raiding the mobile ‘fridge is because of lack of time, and being so overloaded. Most professionals do not work a typical 9-5 day (27 per cent say they work at least 10 hours!), and are finding themselves more often than not on-the-go. Snacking on media is a way to help unwind during the day.

What are mobile adults snacking on? Survey says: tunes and text messages (44 per cent); video clips (19 per cent); and radio (33 per cent). Social networking Websites like Facebook and MySpace are also being visited from portable devices, which is something I can personally attest to, having logged in many times during lunch or while on the road (only as a passenger, I swear!)
Once they’re at home, it appears that many people still can’t manage to put away the BlackBerry until the morning: the temptation to check and respond to e-mail is far too great for any road warrior to fend off. Almost a third of the people even admitted to responding to e-mails while eating dinner; and close to 40 per cent confess to working while attending social or family gatherings (remember Ari during Yom Kippur on the latest episode of Entourage?).

Media snacking is great. But it’s important to ensure all this techno-wizardry doesn’t consume our lives: 24/7 is too much, 9-to-5 is too limiting. I feel it all boils down to balance. If you know when to shut down your connection, you’ll value the nature of mobile technology much more.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

New terminology given to a very old art!

DK said...

From someone who focuses on 'media snacking' and young people I agree adults are hungry and graze also, although, young people don't know a world without defining their own media menu... isn't that something :-)

Peace

DK

Marketnews - Christine Persaud said...

Hi DK,

Yes, I agree. Young people today have the attitude of wanting what they want, when they want.

Our publisher often muses that his young daughter automatically jumps to his side after a photo's been taken, wanting to look at it on that big screen. When someone appears with an old film camera (yep, there are still a few of those hanging around), she can't believe that there's no way to check the picture out right away!

As for the youth market and media snacking, you couldn't be more right. "I have to watch that TV show now? No way. I'll just grab it online, and watch it when it suits me!"

It certainly is something.

Thanks for your comments.